Saturday will mark Michael Skubala’s first home game as Lincoln City head coach, as the Imps welcome Barnsley to the LNER Stadium.
The Imps claimed their first points under Skubala on Tuesday night, with a late Ethan Hamilton winner sealing a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient. It followed a reverse scoreline as Stevenage took the points in the head coach’s first game in charge.
Coming into the SkyBet League One clash, City sit 9th in the division.
Opposition: Barnsley
The visitors sit in the final playoff spot, 6th, but only one point above the Imps. However, Neill Collins’ side have two games in hand on City. That being said, a win could see the home side rise into the playoff spots.
Barnsley come into the game with their only win in their last five coming against non-league Horsham in an FA Cup replay.
The Tykes last win in League One came on Tuesday, October 24th, while a 5-1 midweek loss to Bradford City in the Bristol Street Motors capped off a poor run of form.
Top-scorer Devante Cole has struck 11 goals for the South Yorkshire side so far this season, and will look to add another as they travel across the border to Lincolnshire.
Team News:
Despite Jack Vale’s injury scare last week, the loanee striker is back in action and expected to feature on Saturday.
However, Skubala has inherited a heavy injury list, which includes the long-term absences of Ben House and Lewis Montsma. Forward Tyler Walker is back in training and may not be far from a return to first-team action.
Captain Paudie O’Connor is also absent as he serves the last game of his three match suspension.
Perhaps, the Imps biggest absence will be midfielder Ethan Hamilton, who will miss the visit of Barnsley having picked up five yellow cards so far this season. The other Ethan, Erhahon, is just one booking away from the same suspension.
As for the visitors, they’re without such an injury crisis and look set to bring a strong squad to the LNER Stadium. The only doubt is Luca Connell.
Featured for Both:
Lincoln City centre-back Adam Jackson will play against his former side on Saturday, having left the Tykes in 2019.
Jackson played over 40 games for Barnsley, before leaving for a short spell at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian. The defender is now a staple of the Imps defence and looks set to line-up against his former team.
Another defender that has played for both is Jason Shackell. He finished his career at Lincoln in 2020, having featured for the Tykes back in 2010/11.
Head-to-Head:
Last season, Lincoln City sealed a win and a draw against Saturday’s opposition. The Imps won 1-0 at Oakwell thanks to a Danny Mandroiu goal, before a goalless draw at the LNER Stadium.
A 2022 EFL Trophy clash also went the Imps way, as they left Oakwell with a 3-0 victory.
Historically, it’s a slightly different picture as the Imps have won 25 matches, while the Tykes have won 33. Their other 15 meetings ended level.
———
Follow LincSport’s live updates on Twitter/X. Post-match, a match report and interviews will be published.